Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Bomomo Makes Abstract-ish Art Simple [Art]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Seriouslytechnology/~3/312017883/

Webapp Bomomo is a drawing application that’s slick enough to make random squiggles seem elegant, but also lets you fine-tune your design. Whether you’re looking for a change of desktop wallpaper, wrapping paper that’s really unique, or just an intriguing background, Bomomo’s results almost always look pretty decent. And while the colors are randomly generated, they tend to come in complementary waves. Bomomo is a free to sign up for and use.

Bomomo [via MakeUseOf.com]

Friday, June 13, 2008

Soon, Your iPhone Won't Just Store Music, It'll Generate it For You [Music]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/310474125/soon-your-iphone-wont-just-store-music-itll-generate-it-for-you

iPods and iPhones are great for loading up with prerecorded music and everything, but no matter how large your hard drive is you're going to run out of new stuff to listen to eventually. But now that these devices are getting powerful enough to run robust programs, you'll soon have the ability to listen to new, actively-generated music on your iPhone that's completely unique.

While we already saw a program for creating music demoed at WWDC, what'll be really interesting is seeing programs that create music without user input. I'm not talking about music like new Coldplay songs, but rather electronic music that can be written as a set of procedures rather than a series of notes. Back in 1996, ambient music pioneer Brian Eno released Generative Music 1, which came on discs and used early Koan software.

It's only a matter of time before contemporary experimental electronic artists such as Keith Fullerton Whitman start releasing music that creates itself on your portable device. And while it's doubtful that you'll want to get rid of all your familiar music for some esoteric actively-generated music, it'll be a pretty awesome alternative to listening to those same 10 albums over and over again. [PSFK]

Hitachi To Sell 1.5-inch Ultra Thin Plasma Next Year [Televisions]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/310564820/hitachi-to-sell-15+inch-ultra-thin-plasma-next-year

At CES, Hitachi showed off an impressive 1.5-inch-thin plasma display. Today at the CEA industry update the company has told us that the concept will become a reality when the televisions go on sale in the US sometime during 2009. They also hinted that LED-backlit LCDs could be available in as little as 6 months. As for OLED, that's still a ways off.

Architect Secretly Builds Epic Scavenger Hunt into NYC Apartment [Mysteries]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/310522403/architect-secretly-builds-epic-scavenger-hunt-into-nyc-apartment

Eric Clough isn't your typical architectural designer. Sure, he'll design you a fine den or kitchen, but he's clearly got a creative streak that goes much deeper than that. That's why, when given the opportunity, he secretly built an incredible scavenger hunt into a $8.5-million, 4,200-square-foot Park Avenue apartment that included ciphers, riddles, poems and a lot of hidden doors and compartments.

In any case, the finale involved, in part, removing decorative door knockers from two hallway panels, which fit together to make a crank, which in turn opened hidden panels in a credenza in the dining room, which displayed multiple keys and keyholes, which, when the correct ones were used, yielded drawers containing acrylic letters and a table-size cloth imprinted with the beginnings of a crossword puzzle, the answers to which led to one of the rectangular panels lining the tiny den, which concealed a chamfered magnetic cube, which could be used to open the 24 remaining panels, revealing, in large type, the poem written by Mr. Klinsky.

How amazing is that? It took the family months to discover the scavenger hunt and weeks after that to figure it all out. It's like the live in a children's book of some kind.

Unfortunately, magical things like this really are only possible when you're loaded enough to buy an $8.5-million apartment and then give someone another $1.26 million to renovate it without much oversight. But hey, maybe if you're nice to the guys installing your new fridge they'll leave a post-it note with a poem stuck behind it as a secret prize for when you move. Not quite as magical, but I'm trying to work within your means here.

BlackBerry "Seawolf" 9110 Clamshell for AT&T and "Aurora" Mystery Phone Surface [Rumor]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/310620906/blackberry-seawolf-9110-clamshell-for-att-and-aurora-mystery-phone-surface

BlackBerry's first flip phone, the Kickstart (9100), is obviously for T-Mobile, but Boy Genius has uncovered some stuff that refers to the BlackBerry Seawolf (9110). The model number indicates it's a version of the Kickstart with GPS for another carrier, most probably AT&T. The mystery phone is the Aurora, which is in the same series as the touchscreen Thunder, but with an indicator of SureType keyboard like the Pearl—BGR suspects it might be an R&D fossil we'll never see. Still, looks like the Kickstart won't stay T-Mo exclusive for very long (if at all). Check out the revealing code over there: [BGR]

NXP Cell Modem Will Pull Down 150Mbits, Connect to Just About Anything [Mobile Data]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/310710058/nxp-cell-modem-will-pull-down-150mbits-connect-to-just-about-anything

NXP's new softmodem will be the fastest in the world and work with a range of data protocols, including LTE, WiMax, HSPA, UMTS, EDGE, GPRS and GSM. While the modem's over-the-top theoretical speeds will be sharply limited by available cellular networks, its network-promiscuity will allow for actual global phones that would be able to connect to fast data services almost anywhere in the world. Expect the hardware to start turning up in phone starting Q2 2009. [SlashPhones]

British Farmers to Build Giant, Artificial, 220-Acre Farm Under Glass [Too Much Green]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/310810501/british-farmers-to-build-giant-artificial-220+acre-farm-under-glass

Apparently inspired by Buckminster Fuller's push for domed cities, farmers in Kent, England are building a 220-acre series of connected greenhouses, where nothing will be grown in soil. Instead, nutrient-packed water will be used to grow 1.3 million plants hydroponically. The seven greenhouses will increase the UK's green vegetable supply 15%, and the greenhouses will be self-sufficient during the dry season by collecting rainwater from October-April. No word on whether Pauly Shore and Stephen Baldwin will be allowed inside. [UK Guardian via Jaunted via io9]

Hyundai's W220S LCD: Google Earth, now in 3D!

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/310195730/

Filed under: Displays

Bust out the Aqua Net and tease-up your beehive because 3D is once again the rage. Hyundai just announced its W220S TriDef 3D LCD which packs the standard list of specs we expected in a 22-inch monitor: 1,680 x 1,050 WSXGA+ resolution, 1,000:1 contrast ratio, 300cd/m2 brightness and 5-ms response. Unfortunately the viewing angle is a mere 150-degrees up/down or 160-degrees side-to-side. Should you be bold enough to step into a pair of included polarized glasses then you'll also be treated to a suite of bundled 3D-apps including Google Earth 3D, a pair of 3D games, and TriDef media player for 3D video content. The W220S launches in Japan tomorrow for ¥98,000 (about $913). Pics of the face-specs after the break.

Continue reading Hyundai's W220S LCD: Google Earth, now in 3D!

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Solar Soft House converts household curtains into household current

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/310323830/

Filed under: Household

Bravo Sheila Kennedy, bravo. You might just save us from our gadget-obsessed selves if the Soft House you've designed can pump the 16,000 watt-hours you predict. The design features thin photovoltaic films woven into semi-transparent curtains. The idea is similar to the solar power ski-suits (seriously) we've seen. Unfortunately, a home fitted entirely in solar textiles is still too costly at the moment. Cost measured in cash, apparently.

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Conceptronic ships Grab 'n GO Full HD media streamer

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/310392527/

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

In the quickly-growing realm of media streamers, there's at least a modicum of a chance that Conceptronic's oddly titled Grab 'n GO Full HD media player has slipped from the forefront of your mind. If so, the outfit is gunning to jar your memory by announcing that it is now shipping said piece to eager consumers. The release also noted that SAMBA and NFS clients have been added, and it's pretty much ready to "stream all digital media files to a TV in Full HD 1080p resolution." Furthermore, you'll find a gigabit Ethernet jack to handle all that data, and the built-in USB port enables external storage to be added locally. Sorry, still no price.

[Thanks, KJ]

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Intel shows off robotic hand with "Pre Touch" object conformation

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/310411660/

Filed under: Robots

Intel Pre-touch robotic hand

Robotics have come a long way, but they still often miss that innate, nervous sense of reluctant touch. Intel researchers have achieved something similar with a robotic hand that uses electrolocation to create a robotic hand conform to the shape of an object before interacting with it. Shown at Research@Intel Day, the hand uses fish-like electrolocation to bounce electric fields off of objects and then conform the hand to that shape in real time. They call the dynamic "Pre Touch," and it could prove useful for configuring robotics before they interact with objects without, say, damaging them or missing the interface completely. We've been aware of the technology for some time, but as you can see in the video after the break, Intel finally has something to show, and the results are what can only be described as a strangely nervous robotic hand.

Continue reading Intel shows off robotic hand with "Pre Touch" object conformation

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NXP unveils world's fastest cellular modem with multi-mode GSM support

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/310431359/

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

3G is so Monday. Today, NXP Semiconductors is getting down with the "world's fastest high-bandwidth cellular soft modem," which will obviously be aimed at smartphones, MIDs and other handhelds thirsting for WWAN. Notably, the PNX6910 supports multi-mode LTE / HSPA / UMTS / EDGE / GPRS / GSM capability, and it's reportedly capable of achieving data transfer rates of 150Mbits down and 50Mbits up. To put things in perspective, NXP suggests that users could download an "entire HD movie in less than 7 minutes," though we're not sure what constitutes an "entire movie." Oh, and before you get too excited in here, you should probably know that the chip won't even be available until Q2 2009 at the earliest.

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PureDepth's Multi-Layer Display technology hits casino floors

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/310489994/

Filed under: Displays, Gaming

When PureDepth said its Multi-Layer Display technology would be "shipping soon," it meant "really soon." Nary two months after the company made said assertion, we're now hearing that IGT (a global computerized game machine company) has secured the aforesaid technology for a number of slot machines and other casino-bound systems. The REELdepth family of games, which includes around 70 of IGT's classics as well as a few new AVP (Advanced Video Platform) themes, should be luring vacationers and gamblers alike in the not-too-distant future, but sadly, we're not given a clue as to what casinos will be adopting said machines.

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AMD back on the Havok physics engine bandwagon

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/310501768/

Filed under: Gaming

AMD Havok partnership

After a relationship drama that belongs on daytime television, AMD is snuggling up to Intel to add Havok physics acceleration to their CPUs and GPUs. AMD likely buckled under pressure to come up with a better physics program for its chips and just went with what Rick Bergman of AMD called "the clear market leader in physics software." AMD will add the Havok Physics engine to both its multi-core CPUs and GPUs, but AMD managing director noted that the focus is on CPUs given feedback from gaming developers who like the idea of offsetting physics computation to CPU cores. Good news for game developers, indeed.

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Mobiado Professional 105 EM / GCB handsets: too luxurious for our fingers

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/310519157/

Filed under: Cellphones

Heads up, affluent sect. The immensely pricey Professional 105 line is expanding, as two new members slip in to tempt your stuffed wallet. Mobiado's Professional 105 EM is available in Cocobolo and Ebony, and the frame is even constructed from anodized aluminum; you'll also notice sapphire crystal buttons and a black finish. As for the Professional 105 GCB, it's layered with a 5-micron thick 24-karat gold plating and jazzed up with a fancy logo 'round back. Both candybars feature quad-band GSM support, a measly 1GB of internal storage space and a ho hum 2-megapixel camera, but fret not, as it'll (very likely) be the most expensive lackluster cellphone you'll ever pay for.

[Via UnwiredView]

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